My Californian Road Trip

Like many travellers, I am averse to stopovers – those interruptions to your journey that must be endured because too many of today’s scientific minds are intent on improving toothbrush technology instead of designing the teleportation device that we all crave.
And yes, while I know it’s about the journey as much as the destination, that philosophy is not reflected in my annual leave entitlements. Every annual leave day counts and unexpected stopovers are particularly unwelcome.
There’s one unplanned stopover of mine, though, that I recommend you add to your itinerary if you’re ever driving along the Californian coast. My delay was all thanks to an evil rental car clerk who had set our rental GPS to ‘Extreme Scenic’ while we weren’t looking. (We’d twice had to ask actual human beings for directions back to the highway, like people from the olden days.) Due to this malicious act we missed the last daylight tour of Hearst Castle and found ourselves having to spend the night in San Simeon.
San Simeon: population 443. Let’s be honest, when rounding the population of a town to the nearest thousand would result in '0', the prospect of an entertaining evening seems improbable - improbable, but not impossible, as we soon discovered.
As the fog rolled in, a flickering, orange glow transformed the foreshore. Closer inspection revealed a series of firepits, duly stoked by some unseen San Simeon hand to summon travellers. And indeed, people had congregated.
The first group we approached turned out to be just a couple who really should have been in their room. They’d clearly been overcome by the whole misty-romantic-San Simeon-firepit atmosphere, so we politely moved along to avoid further embarrassment. Fog is not the same as walls, people!
Mercifully, the adjacent firepit drew a more modest group of tourists and we were able to join in with the sharing of travel tips, laughter and beer. That cosy evening became one of the highlights of my trip.
Thanks to recommendations from the firepit, we visited a nearby elephant seal colony (a must see for any naturalist, but no warning can prepare you for the stench) and the Big Sur (don’t miss it; the views from the restaurant patio will make you wish you’d booked a night there).
As for the Hearst Castle, why did I allow only half a day? It’s a castle; you need a whole day.
So, my fellow nomads, my final tip for a perfect San Simeon sojourn? An extra day, and remember to bring marshmallows and sticks for your new friends…